So High So Low
by Collective Soul
Summary: Literati. Jess is living in New York, by himself and lonely. Rory and Marty coincidentally are in New York at the same time, and when Rory gets separated from Marty and runs into Jess, feelings that never really went away begin to re-surface. Please R&R.
1. Another Lonely Day

Disclaimers: I own not the show, the characters, or the beautiful Ben Harper song (entitled Another Lonely Day).

Author's Note: This takes place around the time of the fifth season, but I'm pretending the interactions in season four didn't happen. I'm also ignoring the Jess seeing his father, and assuming that he went back to New York after he left.

* * *

It was an ordinary day. Jess walked through the city with nothing but a book and a few crumbled dollar bills in his back pocket. He had been fired from yet another minimum-wage job. He walked through the crowds of people, each with their own problems and oblivious to others around them. He realized that no one cared about him. 

He settled on a bench in a sunny park and pulled out an Ayn Rand novel. He tried to immerse himself in the book, but couldn't help but be distracted by the happy people strolling through the park. The sun was shining brightly on the green grass, and it disgusted him. Before it got even got dark, he headed to his apartment.

He climbed the dilapidated stairs and slid into his room.

Nobody stopped to say hi. Nobody cared.

He dropped his book on the counter, turned on a rusted radio and threw himself on a couch.

A crackly Ben Harper song drifted through the old box and surrounded him, wrapping him tight.

_Yes indeed I'm alone again  
And here comes emptiness crashing in  
It's either love or hate  
I can't find in between  
Cause I've been with witches  
And I have been with a queen_

Why did it have to be like that? Ever since he had left Stars Hollow two years ago, thoughts of Rory haunted him; what-ifs.

What if I had talked to her?

What if I hadn't left?

What if I had told her I loved her?

_It wouldn't have worked out anyway  
So now it's just another lonely day  
Further along we just may  
But for now it's just another lonely day_

He missed her. But he doubted she ever thought about him.

She was too good for him. And that was it.

He just had trouble accepting it.

_Wish there was something  
I could say or do  
I can resist anything  
But temptation from you  
But I'd rather walk alone  
Than chase you around  
I'd rather fall myself  
Than let you drag me down_

She wasn't the type of girl he was used to. Perhaps he was scared of what was different.

But he had blown it. It was over, and he knew it.

He was lucky to have had her for that short time.

_It wouldn't have worked out anyway  
And now it's just another lonely day  
Further along we just may  
But for now it's just another lonely day_

Two years… she had probably forgotten about him completely.

He found his mind drifting back to that time. The short time, a long time ago, when he had been happy.

He had felt secure. He had felt cared about.

_Yesterday seems like a life ago  
Cause the one I love  
Today I hardly know  
You I held so close in my heart oh dear  
Grow further from me  
With every fallen tear_

_But there was nothing he could do about it now._

_It wouldn't have worked out anyway  
So now it's just another lonely day  
Further along we just may  
But for now it's just another lonely day_

As the song ended, he grew frustrated and threw his shoe at the radio. As it smashed against the wall and the music came to an abrupt halt, he heard the angry voices through the paper-thin walls telling him the "shut the hell up".

He sighed and got up, walked to the fridge and opened it, and stared at the little contents. Two beers, a container of mouldy cottage cheese, and a sock that was perhaps in worse condition than the cottage cheese. He picked a beer, hit the cap cleanly off on the counter, and raised the bottle to his lips.

His crashed on the couch again and gulped down the rest of the beer, wishing for a sleep untouched by the many emotions that flew around his head.

* * *

He meandered through the city again the next day, not having a destination or even purpose. As he walked by Washington Square Park, he paused as a familiar-looking form caught his eye. He shook himself and decided that his eyes were playing tricks on him. 

She wouldn't be in New York. She wouldn't be sitting on a bench in the same park where she'd visited him before everything began.

Or would she?

He walked by and casually glanced in her direction. The closer he got, the more it looked like Rory. But when he turned and looked from a different angle, he saw that it wasn't her.

He sighed and walked in a different direction. He stopped twice and did double takes, before realizing that he was seeing her everywhere.

He decided to ignore it.

So when he passed the girl that looked remarkably the most like Rory, but with shorter hair, he didn't pause and look back.

But she did.

"Jess?" She called. She had a kind of unbelieving tone in her voice. "Jess?"

He thought for a second that his ears may be part of the conspiracy against him, but finally turned around. He saw her through the swarms of people, with her hand up waving frantically at him. It looked as if she was drowning, and desperately trying to hold on to him before she slipped away.

He jogged through the crowd and reached her, pulling her out from among the fast-paced people and into the small alcove of a building entranceway.

"Rory," he said when they had stopped, his heart still thumping in his chest.

"Jess, I can't believe I ran into you!" she was saying, full of disbelief. "I mean, of all the people in this city, and I run into you. Talk about a coincidence!"

_Or fate,_ he thought.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" he asked.

"I came with a friend," she said. Then her face flushed. "We got separated, and I think I'm lost."

Jess grinned. "Well I guess it's a good thing you ran into me."

Rory smiled at him.

His heart skipped as she smiled, and he was brought back to times when they were both happy. 'The good old days' as some would say. It was weird; at that moment, it was almost as if nothing bad had happened between them.

"How've you been doing, Jess?" She asked. "I mean, last time I saw you was… that day after that keg party."

Snap. Jess sighed.

"Yeah. I came back to New York. I've been doing fine, I guess. Life is… different. How about you?"

"Wait." She stopped and looked around. "What time is it?"

"I don't have a watch. But I think it's around two."

"Dammit, I really need to find my friend," she muttered. "But do you think we can… catch up later?"

"Sure," he said, not wanting her to leave, but conscious of the fact that they were standing in the entranceway of a building while people whizzed by.

"Meet me…" she looked around and pointed at a nearby bar. "There. Nine o'clock fine by you?"

"Yep," he said.

"See you later then," she said.

He sighed again to himself as he watched her dive into the crowd and get swept along. He followed her with his eyes until she was around a corner and out of sight.

**Author's Note: I will continue this if there is interest. Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. Little Earthquakes

The encounter with Jess had thoroughly spooked Rory. She had assumed he lived in New York, but she never thought she would run into him. Well, she'd _thought _about it. But she didn't expect that she actually would, with the immensely large population of New York.

Rory had come to New York for the weekend with Marty, just a friendly trip. She felt guilty for not spending as much time with him, and when she suggested the trip, he had happily agreed.

Of course, her choosing New York _may _have had to do with the fact that she suspected Jess of living there… But she didn't tell Marty that.

She was excited about drinks with Jess later that night, but also nervous. She hadn't seen him for two years, and they hadn't parted on great terms. She thought she should plan what she wanted to say to him, and how she wanted to phrase it so she didn't come off as a complete idiot.

But for the time being, Rory and Marty walked down the crowded sidewalk, happily eating frozen yoghurts.

"Oh, Marty," Rory said, deciding to bring up the encounter with Jess. It was unavoidable. "I ran into an old friend today…"

"Oh yeah?" Marty said.

"Yeah, and I told him I'd catch up with him later tonight,"

"Oh," said Marty. He sounded disappointed. Rory wasn't sure if it was because her 'old friend' was male, or that she was implying that she was thinking of ditching him that night.

"Of course," she quickly added, "You're welcome to come too,"

"No," he said, his voice with a hint of sadness. "You'll have more fun without me."

Rory felt bad. She had invited Marty to come with her to New York, and didn't feel right about abandoning him, even if it was just for a night.

So she smiled at him and said "Marty, I _want _you to come."

He smiled back and agreed.

* * *

The bar was smoky and Rory had trouble peering through the haze, but she quickly scouted out Jess, who was sitting at the bar.

Jess stared as Rory approached with Marty in tow.

"Want to get a booth or something?" Rory suggested, aware that the situation might have been less awkward had she not insisted Marty come.

"Sure," Jess said. His voice almost came out in a growl, and Rory could tell without looking at the empty beer mugs in front of him that he'd been drinking.

"I'll find one," Marty said, leading them to a less smoky corner.

"Boyfriend?" Jess hissed in her ear when Marty was out of earshot.

Rory was surprised to hear the disappointment in his voice.

She smirked. "No, but I'm glad you seem to care,"

They say down, Jess with a expression that was slightly relieved and slightly cocky.

"Jess, this is my friend Marty," Rory said, clearing her throat and trying to break the silence. Marty was looking around awkwardly. "Marty, this is my… uh… this is Jess."

"Nice to meet you, Jess," Marty said politely and nervously.

Jess laughed and lit a cigarette.

"I thought you quit," Rory said.

"That was two years ago, babe," he said. "I started again after I left."

"I have to, uh… I'll be right back," said Marty, sliding out of his seat.

"What is with you?" Rory hissed at Jess once Marty was gone.

"What do you mean?" Jess said, a crooked grin plastered on his face. "By the way, are you sure he's not your boyfriend? 'Cause he certainly looks like it."

Rory groaned. "God, Jess, I thought we were supposed to be 'catching up'. And yes, I'm sure he's not my boyfriend."

She wondered what had caused the sudden change in him. He had seemed so different, earlier that day. He had been kind, sympathetic, and genuinely happy to see her.

"Three beers," he said suddenly, as if in answer to her silent question.

"What?" she said.

"That's how much I had before you came. You were late, by the way."

"By ten minutes," she said. But the alcohol consumption explained the change in attitude. "You know what, I think I'm going to go,"

"Come on, you've been here for five minutes," he leaned back against the seat and spread out his arms.

"Well, maybe we can 'catch up' when you're slightly more sober," She said.

"Me? I'm fine," he said.

"Well, I have to say I'm not surprised," She said, standing up. "You haven't changed a bit."

* * *

Back in the hotel, Rory couldn't stop fuming about Jess.

"You know, it was weird, when I saw him this morning it was like… I don't know, he was _different _or something…"

"Different than what?" Marty sighed. He decided it would be best to allow Rory to go on with her rant without interruptions.

"Different than when he got up and left me two years ago!"

"Left you?" Marty still didn't know what Rory's relationship with the guy was, although he was beginning to get an idea.

"We were together," she said, talking more to herself than Marty. "I really liked him, but he didn't treat me the greatest. We would fight about stupid stuff and he would go away without talking to me. Then one night he got mad at me for no reason, and he left town without talking to me, without saying a word or anything. And he left me there, all by myself, feeling stupid for ever thinking he cared about me."

Marty shifted uncomfortably.

"Anyways, I really missed him, I did, but I was still mad at him because he had been a jerk. And then today, I was just so… I don't know, happy to see him that I just ignored everything bad that had happened because I didn't want to be mad at him. Because before he left and before he started acting like a jerk, I really loved the way he made me feel. And I think a part of me wanted that back." She paused and let out a deep breath. "But now I realize how stupid that is because he is still obviously a jerk, and the time away from him must have made me forget that."

Marty didn't say anything. Rory looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry for ranting at you like that,"

"It's okay," he murmured.

"And I'm sorry about tonight. It was horrible. I never should have suggested it."

"Don't worry about it," Marty said. "It's late. We should get to sleep. We have some more sightseeing to do tomorrow."

"Alright," Rory said, settling into the double bed as Marty climbed on to the couch. "You can sleep here, Marty," Rory said, patting the empty space on the queen bed beside her.

"No, I'm fine," he said quietly, rolling over and facing the couch back, closing his eyes and trying to get Rory out of his head.

* * *

The two were suddenly jerked out of sleep as Marty's cell phone went off at three in the morning.

Marty tried to ignore it and covered his head with his pillow.

After five minutes, the ringing still persisted.

"Just answer it," Rory groaned across the small room at him.

Marty tossed the pillow aside and stood up. He rubbed his eyes and followed the sound of the ringing phone a corner of the room where he had discarded his pants.

"What the hell do you want?" He answered, annoyed,

_"This is_ _Marty, I'm assuming."_

"Who is this?"

_"It's Jess, you met me tonight."_

"What the hell do you want? And how the hell did you get my number?"

_"Relax. I'm calling because Rory left her purse at the bar. I opened it and inside I found a piece of paper that said 'Marty' and had this number. So I called it. And that's why I'm talking to you right now."_

"Makes sense,"

_"I'm glad. So where is she?"_

"Across the room from me."

_"That's real helpful. I meant how can I get this purse back to her?"_

"How about I wake her up, ask her, and we'll call you back."

_"Sounds like a plan. And Marty?"_

"Yeah?"

_"You're not her type."_ He hung up.

Marty closed the phone angrily.

"Who was it?" asked Rory sleepily amid a sea of hotel blankets.

"It was Jess. You left your purse at the bar and you're going to have to see him again if you want it back."


End file.
